When Local Businesses Connect, Communities Thrive 

Communities thrive on connection and trust — especially when those values are shared by the local businesses that serve them. In the Yorktown/Muncie area of Indiana, Reids Electrical Service has embodied these principles and helped keep community growth local for 25 years. 

A family business with deep roots 

Reids Electrical Service was founded in 2000, when Yorktown native Eldon Reid decided it was time to strike out on his own. With a background in electrical controls and construction, Eldon had spent years learning the trade while working for other local businesses — including Yorktown Tool & Die, which he purchased after it closed and retrofitted for his company’s office. In 2005, his son Brandon came on board; fast forward more than a decade, he now has majority ownership of the company. 

“Yorktown is one of those little towns where everybody knows everybody. I grew up here, went to school here, and lived my whole life here. It’s home,” said Brandon Reid. 

Over the last 25 years, Reids Electrical Service has become a foremost electrician for homes in the community — and, through that, has built strong relationships with customers, builders, and other local businesses. 

Local matters

Reids Electrical Service is a standard in the community. As a matter of fact, they’ve won the gold medal for “Best Electrician” in Muncie’s Quest for the Best competition for four years running. 

With a shortage of skilled tradespeople — despite a growing demand for them — having a local, trusted electrician in town is a boon for the community. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that electrician employment will grow 11% from 2023-2033, significantly faster than the average for all other occupations. While this is an encouraging outlook, the available workers are trending down; each year, 10,000 electricians retire or leave the trade while only 7,000 new electricians enter the field.  

Reids Electrical Service has a consistent track record as a second-generation family business, earning them a leadership position in wiring new homes for the growing Yorktown/Muncie population. This helps the local economy in more ways than one. Having a dependable electrician results in reduced delays and downtime on residential projects, upholds a standard of good work, and keeps the flow of products and supplies moving.  

City Electric Supply (CES) recently opened their branch in Muncie and is proud to take part in helping local building projects stay on track. 

“It’s been convenient to have CES in town. They’ve gone out of their way to make things work for me. They’re actively learning what things I need available on their shelves,” said Reid. 

While CES operates across North America, each branch is locally operated, giving branches the autonomy to stock the materials needed in their specific community. Built on a foundation that supports small businesses like Reids Electrical Service, CES Muncie’s branch manager Dave Losier is earning the trust of professionals in the area through consistency, respect, and a desire to serve. 

“Dave never gave up on winning my business, always checking in and seeing if I needed anything. So when I ran into a hiccup on a project, I gave them a chance to help us out,” explained Reid. 

New relationships

Lasting relationships aren’t built overnight, but through earned trust and shared successes, they flourish. 

“It’s all built on trust. We’re surrounded by people our business has touched,” said Reid. “It makes our work personal, and it creates future opportunities. When people open their electrical panel and see that we did their house more than 15 years ago, they call us because they know they can trust our work.” 

Losier shares this same mindset and is grateful to already be working with someone so deeply rooted in the community. 

“As a new distributor in town, it’s remarkable to be working with a contractor that’s been around for so long,” said Losier.

Built on values

Part of the secret sauce to this successful business relationship is a shared commitment to being a people-first business. 

“One of the best parts of running a family business is getting to know not just my team members, but also their spouses and kids. I can tell Dave is the same way. We’re both in a people business, and that shared commitment is what makes our work different,” said Reid. “It’s nice to see someone who has the same values and clear business practices.” 

This philosophy on caring for others is something Losier strives to embody with every customer who walks through the doors of CES. 

“Brandon came in one Saturday, I asked him what he needed, and we got to work. That’s the CES way; if a customer has a situation, we go into my office to discuss it and they’ll leave with a solution either in-hand or on its way,” said Losier. “That day, he walked out with about $4,000 worth of wire and a problem solved.” 

And, as with many working relationships in small, tight-knit towns, theirs has already grown beyond the bounds of work. They’re planning golf outings and catching games together — a clear sign that investing in your local community often leads to friendships that drive better outcomes for individuals, businesses, and the community at large.